You Can Be Fined For Eating While Driving

Whether it’s after going through a drive through or as a tactic to save time while heading out on a busy day, it’s pretty common for drivers to chow down on some food while behind the wheel.

But did you know that it could be costing you big time and actually land you in a lot of trouble with the law?

Eating while driving could result in a hefty fine and loss of demerit points

It’s not known to be something illegal in Australia, but eating while driving can be a bit of a grey area as it can still see drivers slapped with hefty fines and can cost you demerit points if it is deemed to be affecting your concentration or control.

In New South Wales, police can pull you over for eating while behind the wheel if the act is distracting you from driving safely and they can book you for driving without proper control of the vehicle.

This offence comes with a $448 fine and three demerit points but this can rise to a $561 fine and four demerit points if the driver is in a school zone.

If eating behind the wheel distracts a driver enough to cause an accident, they can also be charged with negligent or reckless driving, which results in a $448 fine and three demerit fines but can also lead to license disqualification, higher fines or imprisonment in extreme cases.

Bernard Carlon, the executive director of the centre for Road Safety told News.com.au that anything that forces a driver to take their eyes off the road can impact not only their safety but the safety of others on the road.

“Driving is a complex activity; anything that takes your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or mind of the driving task is dangerous, not just for you, but everyone else on the road,” he said.

“Simply taking your eyes off the road for longer than two seconds, doubles the risk of a crash.”